New characters and cast members have been announced for the new Fantastic Beasts story, and we suspect you may recognise a few of the names.

Nicolas Flamel, a character originally mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will appear in the new Fantastic Beasts film. Flamel, who is known in the wizarding world as an alchemist who discovered the Elixir of Life (based on the real-life alchemist of the same name), will be played by actor Brontis Jodorowsky. Flamel joins a big list of new characters confirmed to feature in the film.

So far, only a few names have been revealed, but some surnames will be familiar to Harry Potter fans. Joining the cast will be Wolf Roth as a character called Spielman; Call the Midwife star Victoria Yeates as Bunty; Derek Riddell as Torquil Travers; Poppy Corby-Tuech as Rosier; and Cornell S John as Arnold Guzman. The names ‘Travers’ and ‘Rosier’ stand out in particular; these last names turn up in the Harry Potter series and belong to two Death Eaters who served Lord Voldemort.

Actor and comedian Jessica Williams, best known for her work on The Daily Show, and Fiona Glascott have also been cast in the film, but their roles haven’t been revealed.

The new names will be joining the central cast: Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski. Carmen Ejogo, who portrayed the no-nonsense President of MACUSA Seraphina Picquery in the first film, has now been confirmed to be returning too. And they certainly won’t be alone. Earlier this year, Pottermore confirmed that Jude Law would be joining the cast as Albus Dumbledore, who is set to ‘team up’ with Newt in order to take down Dark wizard Grindelwald - played by Johnny Depp.

Newt will also be joined by two characters connected to his past in the new film: his brother Theseus, played by Callum Turner; and Zoë Kravitz, who returns as Leta Lestrange, a mysterious figure from an old relationship who only appeared in a photograph in the first film.

Who knows what all these new characters are planning to get up to? We can’t wait to find out…

The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is slated for release 16 November 2018.